A medium-sized clubtail with dull colouration. Mostly brown with dull yellow makings, except that when recently emerged the yellows are a lot brighter. Dorsally, abdomen has an almost contiguous yellow stripe on S1-S7, each component being dagger-shaped (wide anteriorly and narrowing to a point posteriorly). On S8 there is an anterior yellow triangle. S9 usually dark, S10 yellow dorsally. No club. Eyes blue/gray.

Similar to the other species in the Subgenus and possibly impossible to separate from Ashy Clubtail in the field where the 2 species are sympatric. Both are eastern but Dusky is absent from the south and ranges further north. Ashy not yet found in NB so ID of Dusky here is not so difficult. Positive identification can be made by examining terminalia of males and subgenital plate of females.

The Images page has dorsal and lateral views of both sexes and photos of male terminalia and female subgenital plate

Range

Eastern NA, NB to NC and east to western Ontario

Habitat

A species of lentic habitats that helps in separating it from the similar Harpoon Clubtail that prefers clear, rapid streams with silt-bottomed pools.

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